HSD: Let it Go, Beloved

Come here. Come take a walk with me.

I want to pull you to the side today to tell you a secret.

Let me see your ear; I have to whisper this.

Can you hear me? You sure?

Okay.

“God loves that person more than you don’t like them.”

…

…

Wh—huh?

You look confused…?

Let me explain.

That person you haven’t forgiven.

Or let me re-phrase, that person you tell others you’ve forgiven, you just “don’t want anything to do with them.”

That person you think about and they change your whole mood or at least your whole face.

That person who you know within yourself, even if a different version of them presented itself…even if there was an apology…

You still would want nothing to do with them.

You remember now?

Yes, that person.

The Holy Spirit wants you to know that God still loves them and can even favor them despite you not liking them.

So you might as well let it go and learn to truly forgive.

Because just like the spirit of pride will tell you that you don’t have pride,

the spirit of unforgiveness will tell you that you are over it.

But let me help you out here because it’s likely the Holy Spirit has just exposed something you don’t even know was there.

While we are on the subject of spirits, it might help you to understand that just like God loves you despite the spirits of unforgiveness, stubbornness or pride suppressing the true spirit of who He created, there are spirits at work suppressing the person who might have wronged you or whom you don’t like just because.

While this is not an excuse, it is a reason.

Just like you require deliverance from the grudge you’ve been holding, they likely require deliverance (and may have already received it) from whatever it was that caused them to be who they were on the surface.

If someone gossiped about you, they might require deliverance from spirits of gossip and backbiting.

If someone treated you unfairly, they may just require deliverance from whatever spirits were in operation which caused them to attack you.

Ephesians 6: 12 reminds us of what we are truly dealing with, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Have you not yet realized that you’re not against the person you’ve committed to disliking but the sprits operating in them?

Now you are both under ungodly spirits.

If God looks down and realizes this person wronged you but sees you still haven’t truly forgiven them, where does His Favor land?

To the person sitting next to both of you all whose storage is empty. That’s where.

In God’s constant genius and strategy, He can create a unique situation to call that person into a state of full surrender.

That surrender leads to deliverance.

That deliverance leads to obedience.

That obedience leads to God’s Favor.

And do you know who else the enemy will invite into your heart once God starts to openly bless the person you dislike?

The spirit of jealousy.

God will truly bless your enemies in front of you to prove His point.

His Word says this, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” (Psalm 23:5).

There is nothing worse than watching God open doors for them that you have been praying for him to open up for you.

And when He actually uses them to bless you? Oh, it’s over.

Hang it up. It’s done.

Meanwhile, you’re stuck in a place where you’re unhappy or dissatisfied because you have failed to realize the human tendency to judge the spirits operating in other people instead of reflecting on the one’s with which we struggle is a trap from Satan himself.

Forget about what was done to you. You’ve gained a weapon of experience from that situation. That vessel was just used by Satan to come after you.

AND God himself will use that situation to bless you and loosen the strongholds in the lives of those still tied to the bondage of resentment and bitterness.

My sibling-in-Christ…

I love you so, so much.

Let it go, Beloved.

If that person was not dealing with spirits they don’t know about, they would operate as better people.

But…so would you.

We are not in a place where we can afford to judge a single soul.

Pray for them.

Pray that God softens their heart.

Pray that the Lord renews their mind.

Pray for healing and restoration between you both.

You don’t have to desire to have a relationship with them to want them to have a genuine relationship with Christ.

Such prayers are about truly loving a person…not necessarily preferring them as your choice of good company.

The Bible tells you to love everyone, not prefer them.

Let it go, beloved.

It’s time to stop allowing others to keep you from all that God has in store for you.

If you’re having a hard time forgiving, pray for yourself.

Beg the Lord to help you let it go.

Do whatever you have to do.

But do it.

I love you.

Reflect on this. Pray on this. Believe it. Receive it.

And in all you do…

Be sure to lead with Love.

Holy Spirit, I thank You for this Word today. Please let it meet the eyes of every person who needs to hear this so that they may be encouraged to move forward and lead others to you with Love. We love You, Lord, and we thank You. In Jesus’ Name to the Glory of the Father, we thank You. Amen.

HSD: The Holy Spirit is Your Cheat Sheet to Life

Come here. Come take a walk with me.

I’d like to start our walk today with a few scriptures of God’s promises:

“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:6 NKJV)

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go.” (Isaiah 48:17 NKJV)

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will you with My eye.” (Psalms 32:8 NKJV)

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9 NKJV).

I want to make something absolutely clear…

The Holy Spirit is your cheat sheet to life; you just have to come into agreement with this truth.

I serve as a living testimony of this reality.

Let me give you some examples:

I’ve asked the Lord time and time again to help me find my phone (my phone and I have a complicated relationship), and if He doesn’t show me where it is immediately, He gives me instructions on what must come first before He will show me where it is. Sometimes I hear, “pray first.”

I’ve had times where I’ve woken up and had so much to do that I didn’t even know where to start. So, I pray, “Lord, thank you for blessing me. Help me to manage my blessings. Tell me what to do and how to do it.” I kid you not, I receive almost immediate instructions. “Do this first, then do that, and continue with this before you end with that.” (This also speaks to James 1:5. Ask for wisdom and it will be given liberally.) Just ask Him. He will manage your schedule better than you can.

Even instances when I’ve unknowingly come into agreement with insecurity concerning daily tasks, I turn to the Lord and say, “Lord, as I glorify your name, I repent coming into agreement with the lies of Satan. As a child of God, I know that I am exceedingly competent in anything I attempt to accomplish. Help me to complete this task well.” And can I tell you that I find myself producing excellent work…every…single…time. Without fail.

Whether you don’t know what to eat next, or you need help processing information, or you need to make a big decision…

ask The Lord for help, beloved.

His Word also tells us this, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Corinthians 7:14)

Long story short:

You are not confused (come out of agreement with that).

You are not incompetent (come out of agreement with this).

You are not “all over the place” (renounce this at once).

And you don’t have “way too much going on.” (On second thought, ask Him to reveal this. It’s possible.)

You just need some humbling. You need to stop leaning on your own strength, your own understanding, your own methods, and your own ways.

Jesus is not burdened by your daily tasks (See “Believe Him for the Little Things” post for more).

He quite literally has told us repeatedly throughout scripture that we were not created to properly function outside of His Guidance.

We, as a species, are meant to stay connected to our Creator so that any challenges which present themselves are given in-real-time solutions despite how random, complicated, or inconvenient they may seem.

He reminds us of this indirectly with this promise, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

My sibling-in-Christ, I need something from you if you are willing…

Please stop trying to figure out things on your own.

Are you familiar with the character Penelope Pitstop?

Just for context: Penelope is always pursued by danger and nearly falls victim to a series of traps designed to rob her of her inheritance, in which case she is rescued every time she screams, “Help! Help!”

This is literally her life every episode.

This is also your life here on earth.

If you don’t humbly ask the Lord for help or guidance or direction in all you do, you are asking to fall victim to the enemy’s traps.

So I beg of you…

Just ask the Lord for help in all you do.

He is literally waiting on standby.

Begin to practice this and use this opportunity to grow in your discernment of the Holy Spirit’s voice.

Read His Word often and ask for help even when you feel like it’s silly or unnecessary.

This commitment to dependence on Him will lead to you hearing Him more clearly every day.

The cheat sheet to life that this is…listen, it’s so real.

You’re making your life more complicated and stressful than necessary—prolonging moments of tribulation past their expiration time because of your refusal to surrender every last bit of your all.

The Holy Spirit is your cheat sheet, and your path to freedom.

Use Him.

And always, always…

In everything you do…

lead others to their freedom in Christ…with Love.

Holy Spirit, I thank You for this Word today. Please let it meet the eyes of every person who needs to hear this so that they may be encouraged to move forward and lead others to you with Love. We love You, Lord, and we thank You. In Jesus’ Name to the Glory of the Father, we thank You. Amen.

HSD: Name Drop Like You Know

Come here. Come take a walk with me…

I’d like to gently remind you of something.

Listen,

There are people out there who are striving in the confidence of their parents’ identity. There are people out there who are literally receiving the favor of this world because of who their father is or what their mother is known for.

I need you to come into agreement with something right this minute.

The uncommon and supernatural Favor of God is your portion as an heir to the inheritance of God.

Stop walking outside of the confidence you are supposed to be carrying as a child of God.

As children of God…

We do not carry entitlement; We are dressed in Heavenly assurance.

We do not step arrogantly; We move confidently in the Lord.

We do not boast nor belittle. We empower and speak life because of who we are related to and because of the traits (or fruits of the Spirit) we’ve inherited through this relation.

There are people out there getting into exclusive places because they can name drop their parents and automatically receive admission.

“Oh, let him in. His father is the founder of Tesla.”

News flash: YOUR Father created the founder of Tesla. Are we kidding?

From this day forward, I declare and decree in the Name of Jesus Christ that you will no longer walk around as if you aren’t the child of the Most Powerful Being in the Universe.

YOU need to start name dropping.

When people of this world place pity on you, it is time to name drop in correction of this misunderstanding.

“No, no, no. Don’t pity me. I lack nothing (Psalm 23). My Father is GOD. My Father is the Creator and Controller of all things. How can I help YOU? What do you need me to ask of my DAD for you? I can’t promise you He will say yes to your request because He is very fair in His assessments, but if He does say yes, you will either hear back from me, He will send someone else to help you with your request or you will hear from him DIRECTLY. Either way, even if he doesn’t accommodate your request as specified, He will work on giving you something better in the long run.”

DO YOU know who your Father is and what that means for YOU and for anyone else you encounter?

There is no way—not one way at all that we are out here allowing Satan to convince us that we lack anything. The only way we rob ourselves and find ourselves lacking anything that the Lord has for us is by coming into agreement with the lies of Satan in one way or another.

Jesus assures us in Matthew 6:25, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet YOUR Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

Are you in agreement with how much your Father values you? How much He desires to take care of you and provide all that you need?

There is literally no need to covet a soul. If you’ve accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your either in one of two seasons: planting or reaping/harvesting.

Either you’re going through trials to prepare you for what you’ve been asking for or you’re in the season of receiving all you’ve been asking for. If your obedience to Christ is prioritized, favor will find you. Just the same, not one situation that you are facing today can prosper in leading you to destruction.

God is using everything to bring about a future of great expectation (Jeremiah 29:11) and He’s using everything to prepare you for that expectation and for your own good (Romans 8:28).

You’re never in the pit. You’ve been planted for divine sprouting in due season.

You’re not lacking. You are in a season where the Lord is teaching you how to be conservative with a little so that you may be wise with plenty.

God is not late. He’s preparing you to be able to sustain the blessing you believe you are ready for today.

Come out of agreement with the lie that you are not Highly favored. It is a lie.

We must all stand with the same confidence the children of royalty carry.

Our Father is literally the Creator of all things.

If He decides that He doesn’t want the sun to rise in the morning, guess what?

It won’t.

Your Father literally creates light for the whole globe, and you’re worried about a light bill?

Your Father is God.

Not one person...

Not one bill…

Not one situation…

Not one demon…

Not one billionaire…

Not one celebrity...

Not one enemy…

Has anything on You, O’ Child of the Living God.

Walk like it, and name drop like you know.

And in everything you do…

be sure to lead with Love.

Holy Spirit, I thank You for this Word today. Please let it meet the eyes of every person who needs to hear this so that they may be encouraged to move forward and lead others to you with Love. We love You, Lord, and we thank You. In Jesus’ Name to the Glory of the Father, we thank You. Amen.

HSD: Not Punishment—Positioning.

Come here. Come take a walk with me…

I’d like to start with the Word today from the book of 1 Samuel chapter 17.

Now, I’m sure you know the story of David and Goliath, but you may have been overlooking one of the most important lessons hidden in the details.

The scriptures I’d like to highlight say the following:

“Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand.” (17:40)

And also…

“Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. So, David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone…” (49:50)

What if I told you that David and Goliath weren’t the only main characters in this story?

We overlooked one silent hero in all this…

David’s stone.

Before David’s stone was a victory leading character, it was first….

Stepped on.

Overlooked.

Walked over.

Kicked.

Trampled.

Before it was chosen, it was seemingly invaluable.

But once it was called to action as a chosen stone among 5 others, it was positioned securely in a rubber band brace, stretched all the way back to ensure maximum impact once released, and it held its position for the call of the hour. In fact, the tension around the stone was intentionally created to prepare the stone for its purpose.

What does all of this mean, though, right?

My chosen sibling-in-Christ…

Right before you are catapulted into victory and success,

You might feel overlooked, invaluable, kicked, and trampled.

Your environment may feel like its brewing with tension.

This tension may also be found in other spaces, relationships, or areas in your life.

You may even feel as though, just like that stone, you are being pulled back into a place you’ve already found deliverance.

But know this.

The tension created around you is absolutely necessary to ensure maximum impact of your testimony in the hour of your success.

The tension you may be experiencing in your environment, in your relationships, in your job, in yourself is evidence of your positioning.

God is not punishing you; He is positioning you.

The warfare you are experiencing isn’t meant to destroy you; it is preparing you.

The ways you fall short doesn’t disqualify you, rather He is purging you.

If you take nothing from this talk, remember this:

If your position hasn’t changed, then neither has His.

If your position hasn’t changed, you are still in position.

What does this mean?

If you still love Jesus with all of your heart…

If no matter what things look like, you haven’t given up on Him…

If your position as a child of God is still your personal reality despite the warfare,

you are still being positioned to receive the greatness assigned to your purpose.

That’s just that. Final answer. Close the book.

Have you fallen short on a spiritual test? Repent, ask for forgiveness, and ask the Lord to help you address it and move on.

He allowed it to expose what must be addressed before the release. The purging process requires the exposure and extraction of all unaddressed areas (Purging process post coming soon). Do not dwell. Move forward knowing you are still being worked on and that you are still in position.

Does every area of your life seem to be pulling you backward? Worship. Remember who God is and to whom you belong. Your feel like you’re being pulled backward because your positioning requires the tension around you to build the strength needed to manage all that is before you. Hold on and worship.

Facing opposition and persecution? Pray. You are likely being prepared to manage ridicule based on your obedience to Christ on a larger scale. If He cannot trust you to handle persecution for His Name’s sake on a small scale, you can’t be trusted to deal with the pressure of serving others in your obedience to Him on a large scale.

Do not despise the tension. Seek Him to rise to the occasion.

Do not despise the warfare. Find strength in God to fight back His way.

Do not despise where you are no matter how invaluable you may seem to others, the time for your release is coming.

Notice this.

The word did not say that David put a few stones together to sling them at the same time.

The chosen stone was used for its time alone.

So, when you are released into your victory, God will likely call you to do so alone.

Yes you, the once rejected. The once overlooked. The once trampled. You will be used for the glory of God.

Matthew 21:42 says this,

42 Jesus saith unto them, did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?

Embrace your season. Your breakthrough is almost here.

I, too, receive this Word.

Pray on this. Understand this, and if led, receive this.

And of course…

In every single thing you do,

Do it all with Love.

Holy Spirit, I thank You for this Word today. Please let it meet the eyes of every person who needs to hear this so that they may be encouraged to move forward and lead others to you with Love. We love You, Lord, and we thank You. In Jesus’ Name to the Glory of the Father, we thank You. Amen.

HSD: A Slow Poison

Come here. Come take a walk with me.

Are you familiar with the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears?

Yes? Well, here’s a refresher. (By the way, there are actually three versions of this old tale, so I’ll just recap the one I remember.)

In the story of Goldilocks, a girl wanders throughout the woods and finds a cozy home belonging to three bears. The bears have gone out for a time, so Goldilocks feels more than welcomed to make herself right at home. She is hungry and notices bowls of porridge sitting out on the table. She tastes the largest bowl belonging to the father bear, and realizes it is too hot, so she moves on. She tastes the medium sized bowl belonging to mother bear and moves on since it is too cold. She finally tastes the smallest bowl, and it is just right—neither hot nor cold. She eats it all up.

(Keep following. The Holy Spirit has a point to make.)

She is now tired from eating up her warm portion, so she looks for a chair. She tests each chair in the same way she tested the porridge and settles on the chair that was “just right.” However, she is still unsatisfied and feels even more tired, so she goes searching for a bed to go to sleep. In this same process of finding a bed that isn’t too hard nor too soft, she falls asleep in her bed of comfort not realizing danger is approaching as she is sleeping.

This is plenty. We will stop right here for a minute.

The Holy Spirit wants you to recognize something here.

When The Lord addressed the seven churches in the book of Revelations, He addressed the church in Pergamos for their compromising ways (Revelations 2:12-17) and the church of the Laodiceans for their commitment to lukewarmness (Revelations 3:14-22).

The church in Pergamos maintained their faith, but they let wicked behaviors and pagan practices of some members slide. In this case, many compromised by looking the other way despite knowing right from wrong. The Lord tells us that this is where Satan can be found—in one’s alignment with compromising—in one’s practice of doing what is right and doing what is wrong at the same time.

The church in Laodicea was guilty of lukewarmness. The Lord says this, “I know your works, that you are neither hot nor cold. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth.” Revelations 3:15

We know lukewarmness, then, is a spirit that is not of God.

 How did Goldilocks like her porridge? Warm. Her preference was always somewhere right in the middle of two extremes throughout the whole story and the quest to satiate this desire of comfort led her deeper and deeper into an unknowingly dangerous situation.

The story then says that once she ate up what was neither too hot nor too cold, she began to feel tired.

What’s more?  As she continued to find “the right balance” in accommodation of her comfort preference, she continued to lose sound judgment. She went from taking a nap in a chair just near the door she entered to going to sleep in a bear’s bed all the way up the stairs.

The Holy Spirit wants you to recognize something very important today.

Lukewarmness is hidden in your comforts.

Satisfying your comfort leads to compromise. Constant compromise of the Holy Spirit’s specific instructions is a slow poison leading to spiritual sleep. Just as Goldilocks began to feel sleepier and less perceptive the more she satisfied her need for comfort, this is the same way the enemy seduces the people of God toward spiritual sleep.

Let me tell you something…

If you are saved and you have confessed with your whole heart that Jesus Christ is your Lord & Savior, the enemy starts his attacks based on familiar interests and works his way up to comforts.

The Word tells us, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (James

Meaning, at first, the attacks come in the form of interests or desires that we are still working to overcome—that the Holy Spirit is still working out of us.

At first, one could be enticed with opportunities to go clubbing if he/she were ever into that. Smoke if that was someone else’s thing and etcetera.

These are pretty obvious, though, so we find ourselves losing interest in the obvious sins relatively easier the more we grow closer to Christ.

However, the enemy doesn’t up his ante by using more tactics that we’ve already overcome.

No.

He is smarter than that.

The enemy then begins to study us. To figure out what we still like and what we don’t like. He does this so that what? He can use the information he has gathered to entice us with the things we still enjoy—to draw us away according to our own lusts.

Now…

We’re no longer tempted with gossiping sessions or party invitations.

Nope.

Now, we are tempted to go to sleep before meditating on The Word because “we’ve had a really long day.”

Now, we are tempted to wrestle with the Holy Spirit about attending Bible Study because “our schedule is all over the place, but the Lord knows our hearts.”

Now, we put off what the Lord has been convicting us about concerning what we consume (both diet and through eyes/ears) because “God knows we’re trying.”

All of these compromising statements are normalized by the world and planted by Satan himself.

Compromise is disobedience and it feeds the spirit of lukewarmness.

Comfort can be idolized and can feed the temptation to compromise.

Don’t get me wrong, this does not mean the Lord doesn’t want us to be comfortable at all!

Of course this isn’t the case! He desires for us to live a life of peace and abundance! He desires for us to rest on His promises.

What I am warning us all about is a commitment to or prioritization of comfort and compromise.

I’m warning us all about idolizing comfort.

Jesus address to the Laodiceans’ church continues with this, “Because you say I am rich, I have become wealthy, and have need of nothing…” (Rev 2:17)

He’s saying because you say “I am comfortable” you have entered into a state of lukewarmness.

We should all be in constant pursuit of surrendering more of yourself daily and being sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s voice in what to do next concerning this initiative.

Do you want to know why Goldilocks was able to run out with her life by the end of this famous story?

Because of the presence of grace.

Let us not abuse grace to continue affording ourselves a false balance.

We are either committed to being on fire for God or you aren’t.

Understand this. Receive this. Share this.

And as always, in everything we do…

Let us Lead with Love.

Holy Spirit, I thank You for this Word today. Please let it meet the eyes of every person who needs to hear this so that they may be encouraged to move forward and lead others to you with Love. We love You, Lord, and we thank You. In Jesus’ Name to the Glory of the Father, we thank You. Amen.

HSD: You Look Crazy

Come here. Come take a walk with me.

Normally the Holy Spirit leads me with an anecdote/short story to walk us into the message…

But today just isn’t that day.

This post may not be for everyone, and that is okay.

For those who are desperately hungry for Christ and live in full devotion to pleasing Him, feel free to read on…

I need to tell you a secret…

To many who haven’t completely surrendered to Christ…

To many who sit comfortably in lukewarmness…

To many who don’t know Christ at all…

You look plumb crazy.

Make friends with this understanding. Hold hands with it. Cradle it at night. Sing songs to it and place it on the top shelf of expectations when you’re all alone.

This is the unfortunate truth.

To those who haven’t completely surrendered to Christ, you look like “someone who takes Christianity too seriously.”

To those who don’t know Christ at all, you look peculiar and unrelatable.

And to the lukewarm and double-minded—to them with feet planted in both waters, you seem radical and out of alignment with the Will of God.

But I want you to know this…

Keep walking in obedience anyway.

Let me explain something to you.

(I hear you, Holy Spirit. The next post will be on the slow poison of lukewarmness).

Jesus was called a demon-possessed mad man (Mark 3:22) when he attempted to correct others. He disrupted religious order by doing the exact opposite of what everyone had grown comfortable doing. He challenged what everyone believed to be right (Matthew 5:3-12). He even scolded religious authority and sat with sinners (Luke 5:30-32). 

But remember He told you this in the same abovementioned scripture, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Long story short…you’re crazy until He proves that you are right.

Continue to deny yourself and thirst after Him.

Continue to be on fire for Him for He has no or limited true fellowship with the cold or lukewarm.

There’s a phrase that is used often that comes to mind in this moment.

(Only further lending credence to the fact that the Holy Spirit is THE funniest person I know. Like ever.)

When people are perceived to be completely out of it or lack soundness in their decision making, some others will look in and call them a “crazy tail.”

Let this be your identifier.

You are the completely surrendered tail following behind Jesus everywhere He goes and in everything He does.

You keep asking Him what His Will is for you each day.

You keep allowing Him to make you the calmest person in the room.

You keep asking Him to correct you every step of the way.

You keep seeking Him in all you do.

You keep thriving in perpetual optimism.

You keep worshipping Him as openly and as often as you feel led to do.  

You just keep being you and loving Him as you do.

I am not mad at you…

With your crazy tail, self.

And as always, in everything you do…

Be sure to do it with Love.

Holy Spirit, I thank You for this Word today. Please let it meet the eyes of every person who needs to hear this so that they may be encouraged to move forward and lead others to you with Love. We love You, Lord, and we thank You. In Jesus’ Name to the Glory of the Father, we thank You. Amen.

HSD: Strengthen Yourself in Christ

Come here. Come take a walk with me.

Do you remember when you first got saved?

I remember when I first got saved.

I could not shut up about the goodness of God. (Though not much has changed in this regard.)

The Lord seemed to answer “Yes” to my prayers immediately.

Did you feel like that?

I felt dressed in His Favor.

Almost like...

I know He loves us all the same, but I just felt as if…he held a little favoritism toward me some days. (I know, I know. He is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34) but see with me here. I felt amazing.)

In the beginning, it felt like all I had to do was cry out to Him one good time during any moment of distress and the issue would be instantly resolved.

I’d feel renewed in strength and mind again.

Do you remember that feeling?

How easy it felt when you were still a babe in Christ?

We aren’t anymore, though, are we?

We’re no longer drinking His Milk—

We have been feasting on His Word.

We have matured. We know how to wait now. We know what it means to be hungry and how to sit in that feeling for a while.

We know how to feed ourselves with what He has provided for us.

We’ve been given everything we need to strengthen ourselves in Christ Jesus our Lord & Savior.

We know how to come before His Presence (Psalm 100).

We know where to find our strength (Philippians 4:13).

We know what it takes to please Him (Hebrews 11).

We know how to fight in Him (Ephesians 6).

And guess what…?

God is no longer going to spoon feed us what we want when He has taught us how to fish.

Yes, the spiritual war has grown fiercer. Pray harder.

Yes, you’re feeling more exhausted. Worship more.

Yes, you feel alone. Seek Him fervently.

We are no longer babes in Christ where we should fear if our Father’s ever going to show up because He seems to be running late.

No.

Dad has given us everything we need to fend for ourselves based on what Has been instilled within us through His hard work.

Based on the active functioning of the Holy Spirit within us.

His Word reminds us of the strength of our weapons (2 Corinthians 10:4).

He has told us who our enemy is, what we are actually up against, and how to armor up in victory (Ephesians 6: 11-18).

He has told us not be fearful at any point because He is with us (Isaiah 41:10), because we already know what to do (Philippians 4:6), and because He has equipped us with the power, love and sound mind to overcome any moments of fear (2 Timothy 1:7).

And He has told us so many times that we are more than conquerors (Romans 8: 37), BECAUSE He who is within us is far greater than our adversary in every way (1 John 4:4).

You do not need to be saved again. He already did that.

You need to lean on what has already been afforded to you.

You need to believe in the power of His Word.

The endurance of His Promises.

The advantage placed in true Worship,

And the weapon that is prayer.

It’s time we strengthen ourselves in the name of the Lord.

Just as David did (1 Sam 30:6) despite the intensity of His people’s disappointment in Him.

It doesn’t matter what it looks like. You have already won.

It’s time to apply strategy.

Wisdom is the effective application of knowledge.

You do not need to be saved again, my sibling-in-Christ.

You need to ask for the Wisdom that the Lord has reserved just for you and all who asks (James 1:5) to help you come into agreement with your victory.

You are fine. No more panicking. No more wallowing.

Receive this. Apply this. Share this.

And remember, in everything you do…

do it with Love.

Holy Spirit, I thank You for this Word today. Please let it meet the eyes of every person who needs to hear this so that they may be encouraged to move forward and lead others to you with Love. We love You, Lord, and we thank You. In Jesus’ Name to the Glory of the Father, we thank You. Amen.

And then I grew. The more I pursued Him, the more infrequent the “yeses” became. I had to pray a little longer and worship a little harder to feel what once felt instant.

And when the true tests came, I crumbled. I didn’t have the foundation of the Word to stand on. I realized then I was seeking an idea of Him and not Him truly. I was seeking His hand and not His heart.

HSD: Religious Spirit or Love for Christ?

Come here. Come take a walk with me.

I want us to consider the Pharisees and High Priests discussed throughout the New Testament. Remember that in terms of worshipping God, they were supposed to have set the standard. They knew the Scriptures; they upheld The Commandments, and they forced accountability upon the community of believers whenever and wherever they deemed the cause necessary. They should have been the most pleasing to God then, right? Wrong. These same religious leaders were so focused on following tradition, commandments, and their own interpretation and application of The Scriptures, that they completely missed the heart of it. So much so, that God was staring them right in the face, and they missed Him. Just could not see Him. And even worse, attempted to kill the same God they believed they were defending.

Now I want you all to consider who you become when you are in love, or when you love someone deeply. Do you have to be reminded to call him/her, or does your day somehow accommodate that natural desire to speak with him/her? Do you feel a natural inclination to be near to the object of your love? Do you talk to him/her about both trivial things and important things? Do you treat spending time with them as an obligation? Something to check off once it is done, or do you plan for it like it is the best part of your day? When they tell you what they like or what they do not like, do you have to constantly remind yourself careful not to violate their love language, or do you go beyond to make him/her feel cared for, appreciated…needed? Do people have to keep prying to get information out of you about this love, or are you eager to talk about them, steadily proclaiming this love and spreading the truth about your love to anyone willing to listen? Maybe you are different. Maybe you keep this love close to chest until you feel safe, but with those you love most, you share how you feel when the timing is right?

Is this how you feel about Jesus? Or are you more like the former—you treat your relationship with God as an obligation? Are you busy going to church in “followship” of what you believe is the right thing to do based on upbringing or peer involvement, or are you going to church in fellowship of your Love for Christ? Are you excited to get a moment alone with Him just to tell Him about your day? Little annoyances? Little encouragements? Do you meditate on His love letters to you as often as possible (the Word) to make sure you understand His Love Language and that you honor it? Are you going to Him when you are broken, strong, happy, discouraged, angry, confused, or are you speaking to Him on an emergency basis? Are you leaning on yourself, your friendship group, or your family for advice and reserving your conversations with God as a necessary formality when you have already determined what you are going to do about your situations with everyone else but Him? Do you routinely decide to “give it to Him” after you have given the circumstance to everyone else in unnecessary “venting sessions” and external validation pursuits? Are you compromising His likes and dislikes to hold on to selfish desires?

Are you in love with Christ? Do you deeply love Him? Or are you using your own strength to follow rules incognizant of the fact that your ability to please Him is in direct relation to how well you know Him…?

Are you operating under the Spirit of Religion or under the Love of Christ?

Are you a Pharisee or are you a Disciple?

The Holy Spirit has led me to distinguish a few concepts here. Matthew 7:21-23 KJV reads, “21 Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

This lesson is especially important because it speaks against lukewarmness, self-reliance, self-righteousness, and presumptuous following. James 2:29 KJV says, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” Both scriptures speak to the same issue: just because you are following tradition, this does not mean you are nourishing an intimate relationship with Christ. He weighs your heart, not your works. Are you in attendance at church every Sunday? Fantastic. How intentional are you about spending time with Him during the week? Are you resting in Him? Does your life work around your relationship with Him or do you fit Him in your schedule? Is He your life or is He a part of your life?

The Holy Spirit grieves in this fact: Today, there are way too many Christians and not enough devoted Disciples of Christ. Jesus is not only seeking your belief in Him. He is also assessing the application of your belief—the workings of your faith.

As someone who used to walk in lukewarmness, it is extremely dangerous. In fact, the enemy thrives off this state. The way the enemy figures it: if he can just get you to not be devoted, to keep one foot in and one foot out, to be deluded by your own compromising of the Word of God, to do the bare minimum without seeking a deeper, authentic and non-performative relationship with Christ, that’s more than enough to work with until Judgement Day. That is enough for The Lord to say, “Depart from me. I never knew you” on the day of His return. That is enough to get you stuck with the enemy for good.

Jesus is seeking true devotion. He does not want you to be so caught up “being a good person” by your own standards that you miss the bigger picture. The bigger picture here is that none of us are good people without knowing Him. Not one. The religious leaders who rejected Him will feel the true weight of their decision against discipleship and commitment to self-reliance on the day of The Lord’s Return.

In Jesus’ name, I pray you feel that weight sooner.

And remember, do everything with Love.

Holy Spirit, we thank you for your love, your guidance and your daily revelations. Please allow this word to reach those who need to hear it. We worship You, Father. In the Name of Jesus we pray. Amem

HSD: You have Authority

Come here. Come walk with me.

How often are you wielding the authority given to you by Christ? Let’s preface this question: many Christians rebuke based on perceived threat (often times after missing opportunities to strike against the symptoms of enemy infiltration) while others passively submit prayers to God in a sort-of half-hearted faith by leaning on God in acceptance of their circumstance(s) without recognizing the power he has given us all to fight against that which fights against us. I’m a visual learner, so I’ll paint a common illustration, and I challenge you to be honest with yourself. Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal as you read.

Here is an example of both half-hearted faith making passive choices in prayer AND delayed rebuke.

Imagine this: You just decided to strengthen your relationship with Christ. Within that same week, however, you recognize that the co-worker you once got along with famously is keeping communication with you very short—almost glib, even. You tell yourself she must be going through a hard time and resolve to ask her about it later. As you go about your day, you recognize that your workspace feels a little heavier than usual. People are quieter. Conversations are hushed once you enter rooms. Lively groups dissemble with an unspoken understanding in recognition of your presence. You question if you’ve done something wrong and surrender it to God, in full repentance in case there’s something you missed. Over time, however, you teach yourself to adapt. You tell yourself that maybe you weren’t as close to your colleagues as you thought and as you continue to surrender the situation to God, you begin to self-isolate more at work. Then one day, you walk in on a meeting. A circle has gathered and whispered discourse stains the air. Upon recognition of your entry, the group dissembles once more yet one person remains in the room—your boss. “May I speak with you in my office?” You agree and follow him both sheepishly and confused.

Once settled in his office, you’re told about the laundry list of grievances made against you. The gossip that has been spread without merit and the lies designed to assassinate your character. Your boss asks you if there is any truth to these stories because some details are pretty concerning and hold the potential to defame the company’s reputation. After assuring your boss that none of these stories hold validity, you go home and ask God why He would allow this. Once met with perceived silence, you decide to rebuke the enemy’s plans against your life and livelihood, believing that this is what The Lord expects you to do at this point.

We have all found ourselves in a space where we ask the Good Lord, “why?” Even if you tell yourself, “Lord, I’m not questioning you. I just don’t understand this one,” you’re essentially doing the same thing, just more respectfully. (It’s okay. I hold you accountable with love). However, there are a few things to note in situations like these:

1. Justifying, assuming or rationalizing without consulting The Spirit can lead to leaning on our own understanding—an open portal for the enemy’s corruption. If something seems off, ASK the Holy Spirit to reveal or expose to you what is happening around you and wait for that revelation. In the meantime, pray for divine coverage and protection.

2. Passive surrender isn’t applicable to all situations. There is a time to ask, a time to fight with authoritative declaration, and a time to surrender situations to the Lord. Remember in Matthew 14:14-20 that after witnessing the day fade to night, the disciples grew concerned for the multitude of people listening to Jesus’ Word. They turned to Jesus and asked Him to send the multitude away so they may find food for themselves. Jesus didn’t say, “okay, I’ll do that for you all. This makes sense.” He said, “You feed them.” How were they meant to do so? By giving the Lord what they already had and allowing him to meet that portion and exceed that amount by the faith they exercised when giving Him this portion. Sometimes we don’t see things happen because we’re applying our faith in the wrong context. Sometimes the Lord doesn’t want you to just believe that HE will do it, He expects you to believe that in His Name He gave YOU the authority to speak to your situation. Sometimes, He expects YOU to use the authority or the portion He gave you so that He may reward your faith. Always ASK the Holy Spirit which direction is expected of you. Over time, you may be prompted to move a certain way without having to ask. The Holy Spirit is always, always, always ready to assist and guide you either way.

3. Ignorance toward spiritual warfare does NOT exempt you from the fight. Whether you engage or not, you’re still on the field. (Stay tuned for language to employ in prayer against spiritual warfare.) Remember your first line of defense at ALL times, even when all seems well, is prayer.

4. You are NOT necessarily dealing with people. You are more so dealing with the spirits operating in people (Ephesians 6:12). Recognizing and rebuking satanic spirits in operation as early as possible has the power to determine the outcome of all situations. Underneath all of the spirits people entertain, lean into, ignorantly accommodate, come into agreements with, are the souls and purposes and personalities and characteristics that GOD himself created. Pray for these souls instead of begrudging the assigned spirits that are corrupting God’s good works.

5. There is often a lesson to be gained in what God allows. There are usually signs that He shows you leading up to the full manifestation of the enemy’s plan against you. Before a strike is made, there is always a preceding infiltration. “Be sober. Be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking who he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

6. The Word says, “if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5). Wisdom is always your friend. Seek it. Ask for it. Receive it. Believe it.

7. God is already covering you (which is why no one was fired in the case above) but trusting and diligently seeking Him is essential.

8. Speaking of the Word: reading it consistently, meditating on it daily, and applying it completely can guide you and your responses in 100 percent of situations. Guaranteed.

You have authority. Use it early, use it wisely, but use it.

Jesus was and is the reminder. He is the filter between us and the Father. If you think back to Genesis 2, the Lord not only provided man with animals and creatures, but He gave us dominion over them. He gave Adam, who was still in God's good graces and free of sin, the AUTHORITY to name these animals. In Ezekiel 37, God gave Ezekiel AUTHORITY over the dry bones to bring them back to life. Ezekiel had shown he was both faithful and obedient, so in God's good graces he was given authority to raise the dead by the Lord's name and command! The Word says, "And whatever you ask in My Name, I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14:13) This means that authority to speak life into dead situations, the authority to cast out all that is unfavorable, and the authority to remind the enemy of the power you carry as a Child of God has been given to you!

Your power has been outlined in Deuteronomy 6:17-19

Paul reminds you in Ephesians 6 and 2 Corinthians 10

and Jesus, in all of his splendor, told you himself in John 14:12

Jesus' sacrifice has ensured that you CAN declare and decree with Holy Boldness.

So again, what are you doing with this power? What are you accepting daily? You have the power to cast out sickness, illnesses and viruses like the spirits that manifest into physical symptoms they are (Mark 3:15). Are you speaking to them or are you telling yourself, "I'm not feeling well, but God is able." Sometimes, having faith means to stand firmly and exercise the authority God says you already have. “I speak to the spirit that is operating under the powers of illness that has been assigned to my life, and I cast you out in the name of Jesus in Glory of the Father in Heaven! I denounce and renounce any agreements I have formed with you Satan and I repent to Jesus for any lies I’ve accepted from the enemy.” Believe it! Nothing can happen outside of God’s command or outside of His Divine Providence/Permissive Will anyway. Speak to the enemy and the spirits He employs like He is beneath your feet. Remember, "Faith without works is dead." (James 2:26). If you've fought the good fight and actively served your position in the war staged against you, THEN you surrender it all to Christ in glory of the Father. Surrender and believe that it is done, and it is done.

OWN your authority in Jesus' name and surrender as led by the Holy Spirit. You've already surrendered your life to Him. Walk in the power he has given to those who have chosen Him.

I love you with the love of Christ, and I'm here if you need anything.

And remember, in everything you do…

do it with Love.

Holy Spirit, we thank you for the leading of this word. Please let it reach whoever needs to hear it. To the Glory of the Father, by the leading of You Holy Spirit and in the Name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

HSD: Are You Trusting Him with the Little Things?

Come here. Come take a walk with me.

So…I was talking to my sister-in-Christ today and the exchange went something like this:

S.I.C: I have been trying to clean [this one area] for the longest, and I just can’t get it done. I start then I stop, or I’m just discouraged altogether. On the brighter side, it hasn’t gotten any worse over the past week, but it hasn’t gotten any better. It’s just a stagnant mess at this point.

Me: Have you prayed on it?

S.I.C: (Pause)

Me: Any time my house needs to be cleaned, and I just can’t seem to find the motivation to get to it (especially after I juuust cleaned it, but y’know, I also house a toddler), I ask God to give me the desire. I put away all shame or pride and I say, “Lord, I need your help to clean up this house. I just don’t feel the energy to do it. Please help me get this done. I can’t get it done on my own.” I kid you not, either one of two things happen: I get a random burst of energy, and I start anywhere and don’t finish until it’s acceptable OR He starts to minister to my mind so that I no longer feel like resting…I feel empowered to do anything which results in me doing everything.

S.I.C: Oooh, I never thought to ask Him for help with this before.

Me: He wants to help you with everything! Trusting Him to help you with the trivial things exercises your faith so you can trust Him to help you with IMPORTANT things!

I need us all to realize something:

You cannot expect God to move for you in big ways when you haven’t trusted Him in small ways.

Faith is like a muscle. It must be exercised to grow in strength (James 1:2-4).

It is not wise to go to the gym and attempt to lift the highest set of weights during your first visit.

That is a recipe for painful embarrassment.

You must start small.

You must be consistent.

You must stay committed.

Then over time, you will find yourself easily able to carry what was once impossible and you’ll find yourself achieving goals that seemed so out of reach before.

Trust the Lord with the small problems of everyday so that He can build your faith muscle to believe Him for bigger blessings.

Lost your keys? “Lord, please guide me to where my keys rest.”

Have no idea what to cook for dinner? “Lord, I feel like I’ve cooked everything you’ve ever created. Please give me some ideas.”

Feeling tired more often? “Lord, remove all spirits that are working to drain me of my energy and hinder the purpose you have set over my life. Replace those spirits with productivity and motivation.”

Too many of us have grown resentful or embittered toward God because our faith just doesn’t match our requests.

You cannot lean on your own understanding and your own strength 23 hours of every day and expect the Lord to bless you with the house you’ve been asking for because, “you really, really want it and you don’t ask Him for much.”

Not asking for much from the Lord is not the achievement you think it is. The Lord requires us to come to Him with everything because it reinforces humility (Matthew 23:12)—a gentle temperament produced by His Spirit at work within us.

So please, make sure you are in constant communication with our shared Lord & Savior. Make sure you are actively seeking Him to guide your footsteps (Psalm 37:23).

I promise, the difference will be life changing.

Understand this. Share this.

And in everything you do…

lead with Love.

Holy Spirit, I thank You for this Word today. Please let it meet the eyes of every person who needs to hear this so that they may be encouraged to move forward and lead others to you with Love. We love You, Lord, and we thank You. In Jesus’ Name to the Glory of the Father, we thank You. Amen.

HSD: Have You Looked in Front of You?

HSD: Have You Looked in Front of You?

Come here. Come take a walk with me.

So…this afternoon I was just about to settle down for a moment of rest.

I like to listen to The Word while I’m resting, and I realized I didn’t have my earbuds nearby.

“Ah, I know where they are!” I said to myself, and I pictured them sitting right on my bookshelf where I remember seeing them earlier.

I got up to retrieve them from the shelf only they weren’t there.

Puzzled, I went back to my bedroom to find them resting right next to where I was originally seated.

The Holy Spirit then downloaded this word.

Maybe, just maybe…

You are struggling because you keep going back to places that you believe will give you what you’ve been longing for.

Places you’ve found success in the past…

Talents by which you were once identified…

Spaces which once afforded you comfort…

People who fed needs from which you’ve already grown…

Maybe…

If you just stopped moving for a second and looked around you, you will find that what you have been looking for has already been provided. It’s literally right within arm’s distance before you. It’s no longer where you expect it to be.

The Word says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes…” Proverbs 3: 5-7

I remember the Holy Spirit saying this to me maybe a week prior to this download:

“If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), then leaning on your own understanding is the beginning of sin.”

I need you to realize something.

God has made all of your provisions accessible. You do not have to keep trying to figure things out. You do not have to relent to the need to control.

You do not have to keep striving.

All you have to do is stop and listen. The Lord is very capable of revealing what is already there for you.

You just have to Get. Out. Of. Your. Own. Head.

The Word says that if you just ask, that if you just acknowledge Him before you do anything, He will show you what to do! Where to go! What to take on next! When to sit still and let Him work! When to move! When to act!

You are not meant to figure out any of this by yourself (more on this soon). We are created to function at the hands of the Creator. When we are disconnected (or not in agreement with this Truth), we will malfunction.

Malfunctioning can be likened to viruses which have infiltrated a computer (see post You’re Still You for more on this).

In your state of malfunction, you’ll find anxiety, pressure, disappointment, anger, irritability, impatience etc.

In your nonagreement with the Source, you’ll also find confusion.

Confusion will have you doing things like getting up to look for something that’s right in front of you!

Stop, listen, and look around.

He has already given you everything you need to move forward.

I promise.

Now take this understanding and lend grace and counsel to those who need help agreeing with what is already accessible to us.

And remember,

While you are gently correcting…

Let all do so with Love.

Holy Spirit, I thank You for this Word today. Please let it meet the eyes of every person who needs to hear this so that they may be encouraged to move forward with full trust in You. We love You, Lord, and we thank You. In Jesus’ Name to the Glory of the Father, we thank You. Amen

HSD: Believe Him the FIRST Time: PART 1

Come here. Come take a walk with me.

Okay so, listen. I have faced some heavy spiritual warfare surrounding the release of this message. Therefore, it is imperative that you commit to understanding and applying this truth once and for all in the same way I have been led to do.

First, a reminder: Satan’s whole purpose is to use his strategies to distract or deceive us from stepping into agreement with and applying the truth to our daily lives. Everything is legalistic when it comes to Satan, so he can only truly occupy spaces where he has been granted invitation or entry.

The way Satan is given invitation or entry into our lives is by way of one of the following:

·         Disobedience

·         Ignorance

·         Demonic (sometimes ancestral) practice

While there will be more on these three in a later post (stay tuned), we will focus on ignorance today.

God’s word says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6)

I need you to come to terms with something before we end our walk today:

We are expected to believe God the first time.

Adam and Eve’s sin did not start when they ate the apple. Their sin started moments before when they came into agreement with the deception of the enemy. The apple eating was the physical consequence of this agreement.

Their sin occurred because they failed to believe God the first time (more on the deconstruction of the first sin soon), so the enemy tricked them out of the easy life promised to them.

Listen to me…

Believe God the first time.

It does not matter what it looks like, believe God the first time.

If God promised you will start a new job tomorrow and the sky starts falling come evening of the same day, wake up with the expectation that He may call you to become a meteorologist to report on this event.

His promises are sure. (Deuteronomy 7:9)  

If God says you are the head and not the tail and your employer makes you feel otherwise, learn to master servitude so that you may be prepared to justly manage your own employees one day.

He wastes nothing. (Romans 8:28)

If you find yourself crippled under the weight of excessive worry or fear, this should not provoke you to pray more about situation(s) that you have already given to God. You should be determined to figure out how the spirit of fear got in. The Almighty God speaks to all situations which means your fear indicates a disconnection from The Truth, not just a demonic strike. Meditate on and reconnect with The Source of peace.

He did not give you a spirit of fear. (2 Timothy 1:7)

If God says you are delivered and you are still being attacked in the same way or you find yourself struggling with a specific sin, let your faith speak for you and only agree with what you have been told in the name of Jesus.

He rewards earnest faith. (Hebrews 11:6)            

Literally every single last experience is meant to prepare you for all God has for you and/or is meant to Glorify God as He reveals His Faithfulness and the validity of His Words through said experiences.

 Everything is meant to help you receive all that God has for you, not to destroy you (Jeremiah 29:11). God is not looking for reasons to condemn you.

The Father did not send Jesus with Jesus sacrificing in the way He did while preparing the way to send us more Help for you to walk around believing that God’s whole intention toward you is to find reasons to punish you.

Repent this right now, my love. It is an insulting notion to carry.

That is NOT who He is (and it makes me sad to know so many of us have believed this in some way and at some point). His Love is far greater than this corrupted perspective.

It is imperative that you learn to believe God the first time and walk in agreement with the truth.

The truth is:

God is your Father first. He desires to give you all the good things He has stored up for you. You just have to believe that this is what His intentions are and surrender to His approaches of giving them to you in order to receive it all.

(There is so much more to come on this which includes the deeper meaning of Jesus. Stay tuned.)

God has allowed me to face so many trials to get this concept firmly implanted within me that it is now my desire to save as many of my brothers and sisters-in-Christ from this same self-inflicted and painful process.

Believe God the first time.

Believe God the first time.

Believe God the first time.

Believe Him the first time and stop allowing the enemy to manipulate your reality or corrupt the truth as you already know it.

Stop allowing the enemy access by coming into agreement with the lies spoken to you and over you.

Stop allowing the enemy to torment you.

Stop allowing the enemy to make you feel condemned, or unworthy, or invaluable, or poor, or stuck, or unattractive, or misunderstood.

If a thought makes you worry or leads to your settlement in discouragement; If a situation makes you doubt God’s power or His love for you; If a circumstance seems to challenge God’s Word or His Promises in any way, you need to call it out and rebuke it as the distracting strategy it is.

Believe Him the first time.

Satan’s full-time job is to get you to believe him instead of what God told you. The enemy has nothing better to do. This is what he does. He eats this mission for breakfast and feeds on it day and night.

If you just allow this understanding to resonate with you, you will not need anything you think you need to cope daily.

This full confidence and faith are enough to sustain you in every situation. Learning to believe God the first time and understanding that every single experience is either allowed or called forth to prepare you to receive every good thing God has for you is a nuclear weapon for your journey here on earth.

We will discuss this more at length, but for now…

Learn this. Accept this. Apply this. Share this.

And in all things, lead with love.

Holy Spirit, we thank you for the leading of this Word. We honor You, The Son, and The Father even now. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

HSD: You are Costly

Come here. Come take a walk with me. I want to tell you a story.

A man carefully begins the project of constructing a desk to meet his every need.

He levels the desk to meet his exact sitting height.

Burmese blackwood, though rare and exotic, was used to craft its body and afford it rustic charm.

He then created extra drawers for his specific needs.

In his eyes, the desk was perfect.

Over the years, though, it lost its shine a bit.

Stains from his family’s overuse appeared on its face.

An accident caused one side to be held up by books.

It creaked when it was pressed on, but to its owner, it was still perfect. Just needed a little maintenance.

His wife, however, did not feel the same way.

She just could not understand why he would not get rid of it.

“Leave my desk alone,” he would say to her. “I made it for a reason, and I’m still using it.”

She considered his commitment to this desk for a while.

He has long since retired, so he does not technically need it.

He visits the table often but does not actually sit there anymore.

For his wife, there was no obvious reason for this man to keep what she perceived to be a piece of junk.

Finally, she initiated a garage sale. As items began to move off of their lawn, she was thrilled by how much they were able to sell and clear out of their house.

A man who carried a similar frame and height of her husband quietly looked around at what was left.

“May I help you?” she asked.

“It doesn’t seem so,” he said. “See, I was actually hoping to find a desk for my new office, but from the looks of it you’re fresh out,” he said.

She paused for a minute.

“Come inside with me. I may have something you’d like to see.”

As soon as she brought him in view of the table, his face brightened. As a carpenter himself, he knew the wood was rare and any defects could be fixed.”

“I’ll take it,” he said. “It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

So, the man left after carrying out the table. He was seventy-five dollars lighter, and the man’s wife was now seventy-five dollars richer.

The man finally came home and was deeply disappointed. He could hardly speak upon hearing the news.

“Who’d you sell it to?” he said with his palm clutching his forehead.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to find the guy and buy it back?” she retorted.

He sighed and looked deeply into her eyes. “Who. Did. You. Sell. It. to?”

Finally understanding how serious he was, she glided a note toward him that was resting on their kitchen counter.

“Here, I took down the name of the construction company on his truck.”

The man took his keys and left.

When he finally arrived back home, he slowly carried in the table.

“I really do not believe this. How much did you pay him to buy it back?”

“1,000 dollars.”

“Why would you do that?” she cried. “We could have used that money! That is all the money I made today!”

He looked at her, shook his head, and took out a crowbar that was projecting from his back pocket.

He crawled under the table and used the crowbar to access a secrete compartment that his wife had not realized was there.

He pulled out a box that read, “life savings” on its face.

In that box was one single sapphire stone which had been handed down from generations to generations throughout his family. He was cautioned by his family to never disclose the existence of the stone to anyone outside of the bloodline because responses to its existence could attract more harm than good.

Estimated value? Twenty million.

The man intentionally built an invaluable looking vessel to house and hide something so rare and special because he knew that if anyone knew what was hidden in it, he would be a target for ingenuine relationships and potential attacks.

And when someone unrightfully pursued it? It was bought back at a hefty price because greater was in it than what could be found in a store.

I need you to realize something…

You were created for a reason and bought for a price. Just because people cannot recognize the value in you, this does not mean you are invaluable. Your value has been shielded for an appointed time, and in the name of Jesus, you will not be revealed a day sooner than you are meant to be. Not one second sooner.

God created your body, the vessel you carry, to house something so valuable that you face constant intrusions of forces attempting to convince you otherwise.

But that is more than all right.

You are a target because our common enemy recognizes your value in Christ Jesus.

You are fine. Focus on going to your Creator to find out what has been placed within you and what you are meant to do with it. Once this is revealed, make no announcements. Walk like God Himself gave you an assignment.

…because He did.

Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world.

Walk like royalty.

Holy Spirit, we thank you for inspiring this story. We honor You, The Father, and The Son on this day. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

HSD: You’re Still You

Come here. Come take a walk with me.

I want you to consider a lengthy scenario with me. It’s a nice day to receive this, so bear with me.

Think of the computer you likely have at home.

If you buy a new case for your computer, is it still a computer once you apply it?

I imagine you’re saying “m-hmm” paired with a soft nod, so let’s keep going.

If you install new software, is it still a computer?

Okay.

If you buy a new keyboard and get rid of the old one, are you still the owner of your computer?

Okay, now that’s all good things. I’m sure you’re reading this by way of technology anyway, so you know not all experiences with technology are good.

Let’s say a virus is sent to your computer, is it still a computer?

I can hear your agreement.

Let’s say you accidentally opened something that was sent to your email.  The message seemed innocuous enough, so you innocently opened it up to see what it was about. Multiple viruses have now infiltrated your computer because of this.

Is your computer still a computer?

(Keep walking with me. This has a point, I promise.)

Suppose someone else challenges your understanding?

 Suppose someone comes along and opposes what you know to be absolutely true concerning this machine?

What if someone comes along, looks at your computer and says, “wellp, there are too many viruses on this device. It is no longer a computer.”

Wouldn’t you correct them?

Wouldn’t you say, “viruses can’t change what it is. This is still a computer.”?

Okay…now final questions:

What if this person was able to change your mind? What if after some time of convincing you or you trying to connect with his/her perspective, they wear you down? Finally, even YOU say, “you’re right. With all of this mess, this cannot possibly still be a computer.”

Wouldn’t you be very wrong?

You sure?

I’m glad you feel this way.

I am going to interrupt your pattern of thinking today.

I need you to realize this…

No matter what you change about yourself, you are still who God says you are.

No matter what you apply or take away, you are still who God created you to be.

No matter what experiences you’ve faced in your lifetime, they do not have the power to change the purpose with which you’ve been created.

No matter which spirits of the enemy has infiltrated your life just like viruses in a computer, you cannot be redefined by a single one.

And no matter who comes along and perceives you any differently, or changes the way you perceive yourself, you are still only truly identifiable by your Heavenly Title and Assignment.

The creation of your soul and the purpose of this creation is a fundamental truth; this cannot change. You are not your experiences. Your experiences reinforce what you’re meant to do as you walk into your God-given identity. It’s like downloading apps to your computer. No matter how you manipulate your experience, you are still looking at a computer. Your experience with what has your name on it just looks differently (because of what appeals to you) than the person’s device next to you.

The spirits of the enemy assigned to your life by hell’s kingdom cannot change who you are foundationally, even if they influence your feelings and your response to your experiences.

So just like innocently opening a harmful email sent to you, sometimes your actions invite this infiltration. These mistakes don’t change who you are. God is greater than your mistakes and He has already factored in all that you might struggle with before He sent you and again before He called you.

Just like your first response to a malfunctioning computer would be to turn to the antivirus software and let that do its job to fix this issue, this is the same way Our Father is waiting for us to turn to Him.

Despite any mistakes you’ve made, what you’ve invited versus what you’ve entertained, what you didn’t ask for versus what you believe you deserved, you are only called to do one thing to overcome all of this confusion:

Reconnect to your Identifier. He will help you to come out of agreement with the lies of Satan (virus), step out of alignment from the spirit of insecurity (virus), eliminate self-destructive habits (viruses), rid your life of bad counsel (virus). Jesus is the antivirus protection you need to function properly.

God has promised you this, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

The Creator of all things sent you on this earth with a title (more to come on this; see next post Embrace Your Weapons), an identity, and even a personality. The flesh which encloses your soul is not who you are. What happens to this flesh is also not who you are.

Step into agreement with who God says you are and stand firmly in this revelation. Let everything else roll off like the temporary accessories or lies which they are.

Another good thing about Antivirus Protection? It recognizes what its fixing. You can’t just download this software onto any machine? Why, because it can’t work with what it doesn’t recognize.

God knows who you are. He knows every hair on your body. Every thought in your head. Every intention, every nook, and every cranny…

Call out to Jehovah Saboath- The Lord of Hosts

Call out to Jehovah Raah- The Lord your Shephard

Call out to Jehovah Nissi- The Lord your Banner

Call out to El Roi- The God who sees you

He is both your Protector and Identifier. He knows who and what you are.

Let nothing nor anyone confuse you.

Accept this. Share this.

And in everything you do, lead with love.

 Holy Spirit, we thank you for this word. In Jesus’ Name we honor You, The Son, and The Father. Amen.

HSD: Embrace Your Weapons

Come here. Come walk with me.

Did you know that it took 2 ½ years to build the original atomic bomb? Oh yes! In fact, nuclear weapons in general not only take years to develop, but they also undergo a series of tests to ensure they’re working properly and that they reach the highest potential for impact once detonated. Thousands of people are employed to work on these projects, too! And once they get it juuust right, the finished products stand to impact hundreds of thousands of people in both short-term consequences and long-term effects.

Can you believe it? That’s crazy, right?

But let’s get into what you’re really thinking.

Why have I whisked you away to consider something so serious?

Because I need to change your perspective on your life experiences.

You’re not suffering from hard times. You’re suffering from unawareness.

Building powerful weapons take time, tests, multiple hands/efforts, and patience.

Let’s do a quick recap: Your soul has been created to complete an assignment for The Almighty God, and your identity was established long before you were born (Jeremiah 1:5).

Anything you experience on this physical journey is meant to reinforce that which you have been created to do as a member of God’s army.

Remember when we talked about that? Okay, let’s keep walking.

Your experiences are, therefore, your weapons.

You carry an arsenal of tools designed to address confrontations (both yours and others; both bad and good) during your walk here on earth and according to the strengths assigned to your identity in Christ.

His Word tells us this, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the Knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

I need you to realize something…

The longer you suffer through an experience in and by faith, the more sharpened this weapon of experience will be.

The longer you spend in development, the more impactful the finished product will be.

If the weapons of our warfare are strong enough to pull down strongholds, do you understand that your experience may be used to drag strongholds back into descension where they are forced to realign themselves with the evil one who positioned them?

That your experiences are weapons of warfare designed to help others come out of agreements with victimhood mentalities and stagnation accommodating belief systems? Out of insecurities and lies spoken over their lives? Out of faithlessness and into faithfulness?

You are a soldier in Christ, my love. You belong to the greatest army with the most Powerful General in the entire universe. Throughout the limitless looping of eternity, The Lord and His Army will forever be the most formidable.

Your experiences are reinforcing weapons designed to support your identity, so that you may complete that which has been assigned to your existence.

You weren’t just raised in a tough family. Your assignment as a healer needed supporting evidence to resonate with targets. By the time the Lord sends you out to speak to hearts hardened by trauma, your years of experience in a traumatic environment will be used as a weapon to soften gridlocked stances.

If you have been crying out to God for years about one situation, and you find yourself still in this place despite your commitment to full surrender: This experience is not a punishment. It is a weapon in development. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says The Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

What are you misunderstanding about this promise? We know He’s not lying, so what have you been unknowingly coming into agreement with? Spirit of doubt? Fear?

You must understand what you’re carrying otherwise your weapons will continue to be used against you.

There are people who are waiting for your expected outcome to reach you. Waiting for you to come into agreement with who you are and what your story has prepared you to do.

Step out of agreement with the conditioning the enemy has planted and manipulated in you throughout the years. You are not invaluable; the enemy merely recognized the seed grafted in you and took time to water into the maturity of a stronghold.

You are not suffering from a bad start. You are suffering from an identity-crisis.

There are people waiting for the finished product or version of you. There are people simply waiting for the God-aligned version of you.  

God has not forgotten about you, but the weapon that He is developing in you from an experience He knows He has equipped you to grow from cannot be thrown away just because He understands your pain.

He can’t throw it away to simply give you what you want when you want it.

He can’t just abort mission when He plans to use you and this weapon that you possess to impact thousands or millions.

It is written, “We know all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

God wastes nothing, so every experience whether allowed or commanded, is meant to support your assignment.

Like any weapon with wide potential, you must be formed and tested. Thousands of people will be sent to help work on you just like a nuclear weapon. You consider them family, church family, classmates, coworkers, store clerks, the public—every encounter is designed to prepare you for the mission you’ve been created to execute. Every encounter is designed to test you. To curate you. To chisel and form you until you’re just right for detonation.

In this season embrace your weapons, Soldiers-in-Christ.

 Suffer strong.

 Holy Spirit, we thank you for this word. In Jesus’ Name we honor you. Amen.

HSD: The Importance of Worship Series- Part I

Consider the structure of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). Do you ever wonder why the Lord calls us to worship God before we cover anything else in prayer? Before we ask for His forgiveness? Before we ask for His provision and protection? Why does The Word place so much emphasis on worship? Let us break this down Holy Spirit:

Warning: This part may read a little stiff but before things can get interesting, we have to cover some terminology and historical context of terms used. If you tend to skip ahead past the genealogy scriptures throughout the Bible, I’m talking to you. Try to absorb this part. The Holy Spirit is moving.

1.   In the first part of this series, we will dissect the etymologies of the terms “praise” and “worship” and their relation to Christ. The term “praise” carries two different meanings. Both meanings are worth considering in their relation to God, so stay with me. The term praise as it is spelled today carries Latin and Old French origins. It began its journey as the word pretium meaning price in Latin. It was identified as the term preisier or to prize or praise in Old French where it found settlement in Middle English as the term we see spelled out as praise which means “to set a price on or attach value to something.” While we see praise in this way commonly attached to the term appraise, we would be remiss to not acknowledge its original usage in relation to honoring God, especially since the definition for praise as we know it today actually requires the former to be executed effectively. Praise, meaning to honor or to glorify, comes from the Latin origin of laudate or laud. In its original form, you’ll find this term trailing behind collegiate honorary distinctions (i.e. Magna Cum Laude or Summa Cum Laude), but its intention to honor those who are worthy of recognition continues. Biblically, one will find the two forms or spellings used interchangeably throughout scripture. In Romans chapter 15:11 KJV it reads, “And again, Praise the Lord all ye Gentiles; and laud Him, all ye people.” There is a reason Paul uses both terms. He does this to imply distinction, that we should accurately consider God and determine His value before approaching Him with the offering of adoration. Understanding both definitions reminds us that praise is an offering, and a worthy offering can only be determined through active consideration of the recipient’s worth. Now the term worship combines both meanings. With Germanic roots, it found settlement in Old English as the term “weordscipe” before maturing into its modern form as we see spelled today. The term worship simply means (and has always meant) the condition of being worthy to receive honor. Again, to determine worthiness, one must assess value. To be deemed worthy of honor, this means this assessment is executed correctly and the verdict accurately accommodates the value of the recipient. When coming to God, it is vital to remember all He has done for you and all that His Word told you about His Power and His Character. This “remembrance” helps you to understand to whom you are speaking and His value as The Almighty God. Only then will you be able to enter into the realm of “genuine worship.”

For instance, I want you to consider the story of Cain and Abel. Many people wonder why Abel’s offering was more favored than Cain’s offering. The Word says, “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.” Genesis 4:3-5 KJV

Abel appraised God’s worth and accommodated this value by offering the first of his flock. Cain failed to truly consider God by only giving him a portion of what he could afford. One was a genuine sacrifice, the other a convenient gesture. Abel’s accurate appraisal of God’s worthiness led to an offering of genuine praise. Cain’s selfish offering exposed the spirit of the enemy already at work within him. The Word then says, “but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

**Pause: Can we all just appreciate God’s Dad moment here for a second? God asked Cain, “Why has your countenance fallen?” For those of you who grew up in homes like mine, this is the equivalent of our parents saying, “Hey, look at me. Why does your face look like that? Fix it.”

Annnd we’re back.

Loosely translated, God says, “why are you so angry when all you have to do is do better next time? Unless you’re not actually striving to do better or learn from this experience which places you in danger of going your own way (sinning). Be careful though, if you’re not trying to please Me, someone else is waiting to work with you full time.”

And instead of reflecting on the conviction of God, Cain took matters into His own hands, as God foretold, and sinned against Him.

Let us not be like Cain. If The Holy Spirit is convicting you to upgrade your worship, take heed and make the necessary steps to do so. Some of us might say, “I’m not like Cain. In fact, I typically approach the Lord in repentance before worship.”

You’d be surprised to know that this gesture is mostly rooted in pride, not humility. Stay tuned for Part 2 in this series for more on this.

Holy Spirit, we thank you for this Word. In Jesus’ Name to the Glory of the Father we praise. Amen.